The Late Great Ann Blyth

I have no idea who said it first, but there is a saying, "Live your life so that even if you die at 100 years old, people will say you died too soon." For many of us that holds true of legendary actress Ann Blyth, who died on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the age of 98. She was best known for playing spoiled daughter Veda in the classic Mildred Pierce, but appeared in movies from Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) to Kismet (1955) and TV shows from The Twilight Zone to Murder, She Wrote. If ever a film star was adored by classic movie fans, it was Miss Blyth. As for myself, I have had a crush on Miss Blyth since childhood, to the point that she was possibly the only woman Vanessa was even a little bit jealous of. Ann Blyth was beautiful, talented, and, I know from those who met her or knew her personally, sweet, kind, and gracious. The perfect woman may not exist, but Ann Blyth was as close to perfect as any human being could ever come. Ann Marie Blythe was born on August 16, 1927, in…